On June 20, Cathay Dawkins assumed the role of president and Chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce.

Dawkins, who owns a landscaping firm, The Plant & Yard Whispers, may be best known as the founder of Black Business Owners Corp. (BBOC), a local resource hub for Black-owned businesses.

In an interview, Dawkins talked with QCity Metro about his goals for advancing the Black Chamber, which has about 114 active members. His answers were edited for brevity and clarity.

What would you say is your No. 1 priority for the Chamber?

I’ve always focused on the priorities of Black-owned businesses. And so I don’t think that changes. What does change is, as chairman, the main job of the chamber will focus on [measuring] the economic impact [of Black-owned businesses]. And once we do that, how can we make sure that we place resources into that? I want to make sure that we meet all businesses, all Black-owned businesses, where they are and provide them with resources to innovate and push them toward the future.

Do you have a goal for growing Chamber membership?

I’m still working on my vision – I’m just 48 hours in the seat. However, my initial projection is our goal is to try to get 25 members a month. I know that’s a low-ball goal, and that’s initially for the next six months. We’re going to change the activity of membership. We want to see members way more involved in some of the needs of the chamber. It will be less heavy on how much membership is and more heavy on how is membership really advancing the business owners.

What is your best argument for a Black-owned business to join the chamber?

Allies and partnerships are the most vital habit a business owner could develop — developing allies and partners. I see every business owner as a leader. I see every business owner as a visionary. To join the Chamber, you’re joining all of these other visionaries. When we come to the table, you’re now coming to the table with every Black-owned business that is also a member. So you have a family when you join the chamber, and we’re all on one accord. And we’re inclusive, and that’s something we will focus on. So everyone will be included, and you will feel at home, and we will advance you. You will come here, you will get fed, and you will want to sow back into what we’re doing.

How would you assess the state of Black-owned business in Charlotte?

I would say that, overall, there’s a lack of resources. We always do well on a dime, and I see that a lot of us are shining, but I also see that a lot of us are closing doors. Coming out of the pandemic, over 40% of Black-owned businesses had shut their doors, and the ones that did not shut their doors were struggling to stay open. So I see the state is critical. I would say they’re on life support, but we’re surviving.

Anything you want to say that I didn’t ask?

I encourage the community to just get behind the support of Black-owned businesses. As DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion) and other things are being alienized, I want to make sure that we don’t alienize Blackness, that we don’t be afraid to get behind Blackness, and that we see it as we would see any other cultural engagements, as in Latino festivals or Latino hubs or LGBTQ events. I want everyone to see it as… this is innovation for all. If we continue to get left behind, we will be left behind. So we’ve got to put ourselves in the forefront.



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